


Don't You Dare

by gerardopoly



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: 2012x2015, Angst, Arguing, Gen, Swearing, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-20
Updated: 2015-09-20
Packaged: 2018-04-22 14:43:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4839290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gerardopoly/pseuds/gerardopoly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On one seemingly ordinary afternoon, Dan is met with a knock at his shared apartment’s door to someone he was not expecting in the least. Certainly there must be a reason why his twenty-one year old self has suddenly appeared from three years ago. And boy, do the two have a lot to say to each other. </p><p>2012x2015 based on <a href="http://phantheraglama.tumblr.com/">Phantheraglama's art</a> on tumblr</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't You Dare

To say that Dan was merely annoyed would be a huge understatement.

 A few days ago, directly after Dan and Phil returned from Vidcon, an insistent knock was pounding at their door. Dan was comfortably sat in the lounge, assumed in his browsing position, while Phil was out running some errands. It had been a long and busy week in Los Angeles and winding down in the familiarity of their home was something that was much-needed from the two of them.

 Really, everything was going great, Dan tweeted about his need to own a dog, Phil was probably lost in the supermarket, and life was absolutely normal.

 Until Dan opened the door of their apartment to be greeted with his younger self from three years ago.

 First, there had been disbelief – then hysteria, then confusion, and right back to disbelief in rounds throughout the whole day. The headache that followed Dan around for the rest of the afternoon was inevitable.

 Phil returned home to find the surprise a little while later.

The first day consisted of question after question among the sudden appearance of his twenty-one year old self (“What the hell kind of witchcraft is this? What is going on with your hair?  Jesus Christ.”) but alas, no one seemed to know why this younger  Dan was casted three years into the future.

The next day was alright – the initial shock was beginning to recede. Dan was still a bit freaked out, but he had begun to find the whole situation amusing regardless of how ridiculous and absurd it all was. The younger was spent nosing around their apartment while he inquired about their visit to Japan as well as their general lives. Needless to say, he was quite impressed, and a little surprised. Though, Dan decided to skip a few significant details in fear of ruining the universe or something.

 Today, however, was beginning to turn into a direction entirely different in contrast to the first few days since younger Dan arrived.

 When Dan woke up late just a little after noon, younger Dan was stood frigid on his bedside with his older counterpart’s MacBook in hand. Dan squinted blearily up at him, on the verge to ask what was up, until he saw the expression on the other’s face.

 Younger  Dan looked fucking pissed.

 Dan sat up and gave the other a questioning look, “Something wrong, Daniel?” There was a playful smile playing at his lips. He had intended to be light-hearted and funny, but his expression soon dropped when the other Dan glared harder at him.

 Heaving a sigh, Dan stood up and crossed his arms confrontationally.

 “Alright, what’s up with you?”

 Other Dan turned the laptop around so that his older self could see the @ replies on his twitter feed.

****

**_:_ ** _**@danisnotonfire** is phil trash #1!_

 **_:_ ** _DAN, CAN I BE PHIL TRASH #2?? **@danisnotonfire**_

 **_:_ ** _my son **@danisnotonfire** finally admitted to being **@AmazingPhil** ’s number one trash can at #vidcon last weekedn it’s about time jfc_

 **_: @danisnotonfire_ ** _famous last words before the phandom died<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N4dxRMBNsY>_

 

There were hundreds of mentions that filled his timeline regarding the whole story upon how he and Phil actually met, and how dedicated of a fan he had been of Phil’s all those years ago when he recalled the story during a panel at Vidcon. The truth was just that – it wasn’t a bullshit story.

 In the past, Dan had conjured up some made-up little tale or lie whenever it came to his relationship with Phil, thinking he did it for a good reason. However, looking back at all the lies and fake stories he made up to hide himself from the internet, Dan thought he had been absolutely stupid then.  But of course, being his depreciating self, Dan was scared, young, and he absolutely hated everything about himself. For a year, he created a facade to defend himself from the questions about his life with Phil. At times, he made it seem like he was repulsed to even be associated with his best friend – spewing crap all over anyone and everyone who dared to think differently. He thought he was doing the right thing – defending himself and pushing Phil away almost completely sometimes – but he was incredibly wrong.

 Long story short, Dan grew the fuck up.

 Younger Dan shut the laptop in front of Dan’s face with a snap, making him blink in surprise.

 “What the  _hell_  did you  _do?_ ” He hissed as he pointed an accusing finger at his older self. There was fury in his eyes and Dan could see the fire in them. Though, most of all he was able to see the  _humiliation_ the he harboured. Dan almost wanted to laugh and imitate the other’s facial expression, but he decided against it.

 “What? Oh the thing I said at the panel? You know, about how I told everyone that _we_  basically stalked AmazingPhil on YouTube until we became friends? Then declared that  _we_  are Phil trash nu-”

 “ ** _Shut up!_** ” The other erupted suddenly, probably because of what a cheeky shit Dan was being toward the whole subject. He found it quite amusing.

 Younger Dan let out a frustrated noise and threw his hands up in the air as Dan sat and watched with a tiny smirk forming on his face.

 “You fucking know what we think about Phil and us in front of everyone. What the hell is wrong with you?! Why did you say that? Seriously, give me one good reason you decided to share that with everyone in the world – wipe that smirk off your face, you dumb bastard. Listen to me!”

 Dan watched as the other paced around the room angrily, his face blooming into one of a tomato with the fury the younger was brewing.

 Dan couldn’t handle it, he laughed.

 “Admit it, you’re still Phil trash number one.”

 That seemed to add fuel to other Dan’s fire. He glared, but stood silent as he fumed.

 Partly, Dan knew why he was angry – okay, he knew exactly why he was angry – older Dan just didn’t give a shit. His life in 2015 was great – he was the absolute happiest he had ever been in his entire life. Phil was someone Dan was not in the least bit ashamed of.

 “Then your fucking tweets – fucking hell. You tweet like you love the guy to pieces and that he’s your bloody sunshine – and  _that’s_  what everyone wants to see and hear from you!  _You know that._ ”

 It was all true, Dan had become comfortable to tweet about his life with Phil in a way that didn’t expose his personal life with the guy, but in a manner where everyone collectively understood that Phil was someone special in his life.

 “Well, it’s true.” Dan shrugged nonchalantly, completely unfazed by the anger and disbelief his own self was displaying from across the room.

 The other proceeded to shoot daggers at him, his fists balling up as his jaw grew taut.

 “Why the fuck are you doing this?”

 Dan rolled his eyes and made his way to his younger self. He placed his hands on either of his shoulders and met him directly in their mirrored gazes.

 “Why the fuck not.” Dan asked rhetorically, the brown of his iris solidified as the younger’s melted with sudden nervousness.

 “Let me ask you this,” he continued casually, almost too calmly. “Does Phil make you happy?”

 Younger Dan rolled his eyes and scoffed as he started to back away, but Dan held him in place.

 “Well?”

 “This is ridiculous, I’m not doing thi-“

 “For fuck’s sake, just answer the fucking question! Does Phil Lester make you happy. Right now. In your fucked up view of life in 2012? We both know how our life is at that moment in time  _and_  how we were living before that. I  _know._ Don’t you fucking dare stand there and tell me that everything I’m saying is a lie because it’s all true! Don’t tell me that Phil doesn’t fucking matter. Don’t tell me that you are better off without him. Don’t deny that you love him with all your fucking soul. Don’t. You. Dare.”

 Dan was almost bumping foreheads with the other as the two stared intensely into each other.

 The scowl that had formed on the younger’s face was starting to fall with the words that were hurled at him, hitting him in every place nobody knew to discover. The one place in his soul had been destroyed with open-fire – and the one to do it was his own self.

 Younger Dan lowered his head as every fiber of his being deflated with that realization – something he wasn’t able to deny or ever forget. The two of them knew that if they hadn’t met Phil – well neither of them really wanted to think about that. However, what both of them knew for certain was that Phil was someone entirely special. Dan couldn’t picture his own life without him.

 Dan shook one of his counterpart’s shoulders.

 “Look at me.”

 He looked up.

 “You’re going to be okay.”

 Younger Dan searched his own eyes for indication of a lie, but was met with true and honest sincerity he hadn’t even seen in himself before. Tears threatened to fall, but he tried hard to blink them back as he nodded silently.

 Dan sighed and smiled.

 He opened his arms.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! The art that inspired me to write this is [here](http://phantheraglama.tumblr.com/post/126416560076/takes-place-after-vidcon-ahha-i-really-like) and [here](http://phantheraglama.tumblr.com/post/126419193996/2012-dan-just-needs-a-hug-spam-is-done-my)  
> Comment and tell me what you think!


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